THE AMAZING 6000!

Seth and Erin write . . .

Our blog has just registered a COOL 6000 page views! Thank you to all our amazing followers, and all our visitors for making that possible in just three short months. We really appreciate it. 

So what's coming over the next three months in Today in Shenaya?

Erin: I hope to entertain you with lots more arcane information on all things African. Curses too. And love. Angels are also on my agenda . . .  but, like all of my posts, they will not be what you expect!

And Seth? I'm going to share the odd interesting book review which I think will give you better insight into our world in Shenaya. 

Lastly, just in case you are wondering what's happening with our book Cursed  . . .  our Literary Agent is in London this week meeting with possible publishers. Hold thumbs for us.

Bye
Seth and Erin

SOCIALPUNK

Seth writes…

Word has got out into the blogosphere that I like to read Sci-Fi. The result? Monica Leonelle has asked me to review her book Socialpunk. (Cool title, by the way) The prologue sounded intriguing, reeling me in with a glimpse of a girl, identified only as subject number 3281, living in a dystopian world. So I agreed, even though this isn’t really a book review blog. Still, I didn’t think you’d mind. So here goes . . . my first book report since leaving high school. 

SOCIALPUNK by Monica Leonelle

Cover? Hmm . . . Sorry, but it doesn’t set my heart on fire. To be honest, I wouldn’t have given it a second look. That's a shame because this books screams out for something more compelling, but I guess that’s the designer in me talking. Anyway, the story kept me reading, and I suppose that’s what counts. I read it in one sitting, not wanting to put it down.

Socialpunk is a Sci-Fi with an iRobot feel. That, by the way, is one of my favorite movies, so although Socialpunk was a little predictable, I really enjoyed it. I’m not saying the ending is iRobot because this is part of a trilogy, so who knows how it will end? But I’ll definitely be reading on to find out.

So what’s it about?

Ima (subject 3281) is a teenage girl living in The Dome. She would give anything to escape and to learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

So what did I like about it?

The characters. Ima starts off as a very shy, browbeaten kid who grows – with the help of some really hot bionic technology – into a believable heroine. And I like Vaughn, the main male protag. He also develops from a tool of the enemy to a pretty caring revolutionary. Cool. My kind of guy. The minor characters – Nasser, Dash, Ember and Nahum - are also well-fleshed out. I would like to have known more about Nahum, but again, maybe all my questions will be answered in book two - Socialmob. The story hints at a complicated love-setup in the coming books, which will no doubt have every teenage girl on the planet shouting and waving team colors. As a guy… yawn. Give me more action and more ingenious technology.

Which brings me to world-building. I could clearly see the world Leonelle was creating. And I loved that everyone’s eyes perceived the city differently, decorating it in their own unique way! So cool!

My complaints?

I struggled with some of the time-lines. Not to give too much away, The Dome has been in existence for only about ten years, but people have lived there long enough to have teenage kids. I didn’t get that. Maybe Socialmob will make that clearer for me. Also the girls names!!! Ima changes to Cinder. No, please no. And we have an Ember and a Smolder. That just didn’t do it for me.

Finally, like most of my school English essays, Socialpunks could have done with Erin giving it a once over to check the editing. I noticed some gaffes… and if I saw them, then it would be worth sorting that out.

Overall? I loved the futuristic tech stuff. Gripping story and I’m looking forward to Socialmob (July 2012), and Socialhood (October 2012). 

Where can you get them: Amazon: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkAhttp://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkAhttp://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkA

Barnes and Noble: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkBhttp://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkBhttp://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkB

That's my posts done and dusted for a while...

Bye

Seth

THE BIRD OF EVIL OMEN

Erin writes . . .

Now that you know a little bit about sangomas, I thought I’d tell you about a creature that fills the hearts of thousands in Africa with terror. In fact, just the mention of its name sends people scurrying to the sangoma for protection amulets. And if it flies over your house, then it would be better to burn your home, because that is the very worst omen of all – someone in your family will surely die. So what is this creature, you ask?

Let me introduce you to the LIGHTNING BIRD.

Some say it is a mythical creature, but to those who have seen it (Seth and me included) it is very, very real. We saw it Shenaya, but there are people alive today who also claim to suffered at its talons. They report that the Lightning Bird usually takes the form of a black and white bird, the size of a human. But that’s only half the story. The Lightning Bird we saw in Shenaya even had two heads. Worse, a Lightning Bird can summon thunder and lightning from its wings and talons. If that’s not bad enough, it is also said to be a vampiric creature, often the servant of a witch or witchdoctor. Legend says it has an insatiable appetite for blood. There are even reports that it sometimes appears as a beautiful young man to seduce women. Seth and I know that it definitely ensnares souls.

Now I know you are probably very skeptical of these claims, and that’s okay. Before I went to Shenaya I was too. In fact, when I first heard about the Lightning Bird, I was convinced – like everyone else – that it was nothing more than an incarnation of a bird called a Hammerkop. It’s not hard to see why . . . the Hammerkop also seems to have two heads. The HAMMERKOP, or HAMMERHEAD is found throughout Africa (except the Sahara) and has unusually large wings for a bird of its size. Though not very big (50 cm /20 inches tall), it builds an enormous nest on either a rocky ledge or tree. The nest has a flattish-topped roof, and a small entry hole. 

SO WHAT ELSE DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS BIRD OF ILL-OMEN?

The Hammerkop is the second most feared bird in southern Africa (first prize goes to the fish eagle!) The worse thing that can happen to someone is to dream about a Hammerkop flying by or wading in water. This means a huge calamity will befall you.

It is also known as the symbol of human vanity and futility. That is because it spends all its time staring at its own reflection in the water. And futility? A Hammerkop feather floating down a river teaches people that their vanity and their lives are nothing when cast against the tide of time.

As you can imagine, CAUTIONARY TALES about this bird abound. . .

The Kalahari Bushmen believe you will be struck by lightning if you raid a Hammerkop nest. And according to an old Malagasy belief, anyone who destroys its nest will develop leprosy!

Some people even say it's a shape-shifter because a Hammerkop will fly into the nest, but another animal, often a cobra, will be seen leaving. But because its so feared, the bird survives and flourishes in the presence of man. Maybe the rhinos and other animals on the endangered species lists should learn a few tricks from this guy . . .

Let me know if you enjoyed this post. If you did, I’ll share some more useless information about the fascinating creatures we met in Shenaya, which still roam southern Africa today.

Bye, Erin

WE'RE DAUNTLESS!

Erin writes . . .

Hey guys, even though this is not really what I usually write about, I have to share this with you. Seth and I took the faction quiz over at the Divergent Facebook page. And guess what? Surprise, surprise, we're both Dauntless! Not that I was expecting anything else about myself, but I admit to being a little taken-aback by Seth's outcome.

When I first met him, I would have put Seth down as a peace-loving Amity. Apart from the brightly-coloured red and yellow clothes worn by the Amity faction, (Seth tends to stick to black and grey) he absolutely fits the bill. Starting from the time when he lived in the world of spirits, before we were even born, he has been a peace-maker. As he says, he's spent an eternity working to keep the peace between Caleb and Jared, his two best friends. And his Amity qualities don't stop there. Seth's also a very talented artist and designer. His dream job is to do computer generated images for movies. In fact he's so good, he even won a scholarship to the School of Art in New York.

But Shenaya has a way of bringing the 'other' side out of people's natures. Seth now carries a sword strapped to his side, which he's not afraid to use. More than once, I've seen him step into a fight against formidable odds, just to protect me. And he's not afraid of speaking up either, if it means confronting evil or injustice. So, yes. It's not really surprising that he's Dauntless.

And what about me? I've been a fighter all my life. The very idea of standing back and allowing some creep to hurt the people I love makes me furious. I can see Seth smiling at me. He knows very well that I'm not above getting physical to prove a point, or to protect the down-trodden. In fact, I'm ashamed to say, even though Seth's my soul mate, I've thumped him a couple of times too - both physically and verbally. I guess I could use more of his Amity and less of my Candor!

Anyway, I thought I would share this with you. If you want to take the faction quiz, check out the Divergent page at: https://www.facebook.com/DivergentSeries  It's fun. And, as an aside, neither of us can wait for Insurgent to come out in May.
Bye for now,
Erin

HOW DO WE SPEAK TO THE DEAD?

Erin writes . . .

My last post about sangomas seems to have caused a stir. So today I’ll answer the question: how does the sangoma talk to the dead? Not surprisingly I suppose, the ancestors must first want to talk the sangoma! Unlike many people who choose allopathic medical professions, a person has to be called by the ancestors before they can train as a traditional healer. The ancestors usually make their chosen one ill, or give them strange dreams, or bad luck that never ends until they accept the calling to serve.

Once initiated, the sangoma will use three distinct methods of communicating with the dead: divination, muti-healing and channeling.

DIVINATION

If you were to consult a sangoma for a divination he or she would throw the bones for you  – a collection of small animal bones, seeds and other significant objects. Although it’s the sangoma who throws the bones, it’s the ancestors who decide how they fall. The sangoma merely interprets the message from beyond the grave. Each bone has a special significance. For example a hyena bone will point to a thief who will come in the night.

AND MUTI-HEALING?

Muti is the Zulu word for medicine. Many sangomas are skilled at finding and mixing the right plants and animals substances to heal illness. So sangomas even claim to have dreams, which lead them to plants with the right healing properties. Sadly, as with everything, there are always charlatans, and every year southern African hospitals report deaths from muti poisoning. Sometimes these ‘remedies’ contain battery acid, or oleander, or other highly toxic substances. With all things, you have to choose your sangoma wisely! And then there are the chilling muti-murders. It’s not uncommon for people – often children – to be murdered for their body parts, which are turned into illegal muti. But that is the subject for an entirely different blog post. Actually, on second thoughts, it’s so gruesome, I’ll spare you that altogether.

THAT LEAVES CHANNNELING
This is probably the most visually impressive ritual performed by sangomas. Here they use drums, chanting, burning herbs, and animal sacrifice to invoke a trance. Once the sangoma has reached a state of altered consciousness, their spirit moves aside for the ancestors. Having possessed the sangoma, the ancestors will use him or her as a mouth-piece to speak to the patient.

So what would Vukani, the sangoma Seth and I met in Botswana, have done for you if you had consulted him? He would have throw the bones, but I promise you, the dead people he talks to would not have been on your side.

WE'VE BEEN SPOTLIT!

Seth writes ...

The weirdest thing happened. We got noticed. Me and Erin. By another blogger. I’m stunned. Who would think anyone would be interest in our inane ramblings. Anyway, it turns out that people actually read this stuff. And one of those readers even wants to do a spotlight on us and on Gwynneth White, the author who writes our stories. As you can guess, Erin and Gwynneth are over the moon. Me? I’m just speechless that anyone would care. Erin is glaring at me. I bet she’s wishing she was writing this post - she’d give me hell for my lack of belief.

Anyway, back to the spotlight. Danica Page over at Taking it One Page At A Time  http://danicapage.blogspot.com will featuring us on her author’s spotlight. Check it out and you'll find answers to all the questions you've ever wanted to know about us. And, what's more, Danica's got a great blog. Well worth a visit in it's own right.

One of the things Danica wanted to know was who my favourite author is. That’s a no-brainer right there. Orson Scott Card. Who else writes the coolest sci-fi? The man’s a genius. He can get into a character's head like no one else I know. And he can actually see into the future. No kidding. Ender’s Game was written in 1985 – nine years before I was even born – but in it Card wrote about personal computers in every home, linked to a system almost like the internet. His characters even wrote blogs and joined chat rooms – years before anyone had even heard of those concepts.

Those who don’t like sci-fi still have plenty to choose from. Card has written well over a hundred books, plays, poetry anthologies, even some books on how to write. Talk about prolific. And diverse. He has a series out on the women from Genesis in the Old Testament. Rebecca, Sarah, Leah and Rachel. I don’t claim to have read those – after all, I am a guy. But what I do like is that he’s hot on series, so you can fall in love with a character and follow him for years of his life. Next time I write, I’ll tell you about Ender’s Game - one of my favourite books of all time.

But in the meantime, go and check us out at: http://danicapage.blogspot.com

I would love to hear your comments.

CAN DEAD PEOPLE REALLY HEAL ME?

Erin writes . . . 

Today a complete stranger walked up to me on the street. Without saying a word, he handed me a leaflet advertising his willingness to lengthen my penis! I didn’t know whether to die of laughter or embarrassment. Then I decided to blog about it because that wasn’t the only service he - Dr Banda - had on offer. For a small fee he also promised to speak to my ancestors, remove the evil spirits from my house, find my lost possession, put a hex on my lover’s girlfriend, fix my kidneys, cure my HIV and Aids, and give me a lucky amulet guaranteed to help me win at the horse-races! All in a day’s work if you’re a sangoma.

A what? I hear you ask.

In southern Africa, a sangoma is a traditional healer. They claim to have supernatural powers, which they use to communicate with ancestral spirits. These spirits of the dead, who discern the causes of illness or misfortune, hold the key to healing. If placated by animal sacrifices, they'll communicate their wisdom to the sangoma. In times past sangomas were disparagingly called ‘witchdoctors’.

Now in South Africa, where I come from, sangomas are considered to be part of the legal medical fraternity. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of the population will go to a sangoma first, using allopathic medicine only once the traditional healer has failed. 

Many people in southern Africa believe illness is caused by witchcraft. Something like a lightning strike would often be blamed on a witch. Occasionally, during my childhood, we would see footage on the news of old women being accused of witchcraft. My Mom usually sent me out the room when the ugly visuals came on, but we all knew about it. 

Enemies are also a possible source of illness and bad luck. Nothing stops an enemy from paying a sangoma to put a hex on you, or, alternatively, on an object you use everyday – thus your cooking pot could be cursed to make you ill. Or worse, the ancestors themselves can take a virulent dislike to their decedents. Sometimes they just get ticked off if the family forgets to remember them. The result is the same: sickness and misery. So, for happy relations between the living and the dead, the ancestors must be shown respect through ritual and animal sacrifice.

So why am I sharing all this with you today? (apart from my brush with Dr Banda?) It gives me a great opportunity to introduce you to Vukani. He’s a sangoma who speaks to the dead in Shenaya. Why? He was hoping one of them would tell him where the diamond Seer-Stone was buried. Luckily, Seth and I found it first. 

And me, do I go to sangomas? No way. The closest I get to herbalism is my local homeopath! 

Later this week I'll post some more on how the sangoma actually talks to the dead. Watch this space.